Distributer.



J. F. CAVANAGH.

DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 4. I9I`s.

Patented Oot. 9, 1917.

sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

DISTBIBUTER.

- To all 'whom t may concern:

l Be it known that I,v JOHN F. OAVANAGH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Meriden, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Distributer,` of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to distributers for the ignition systems of internal combustionv engines and the objects of the invention genarally are to provide a distributer of improved dielectric and insulating qualities which can be cheaply manu# .factured and which will be durable and served without taking the distributer apart.

In the attainment' of thel foregoing and other objects I have constructed a `distributer with the housing and support for the terminals made of glass molded to the proper shape. This glass housing provides an insulatin support forthe terminals hav'- ing a high dielectric strength, it being impervious to oil and water, non-hygroscopic and possessing the novel and important advantage that the entire action with the engine in operation can be observed without dismantling the distributer or any ofthe parts.

v Another special' feature is the mountingy of the terminals inthe glass-like support in such a way as to allow for sion without becoming ing the support. f

Other features of the invention 'and the details of construction will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated the invention as embodied in a practical and preferred form, but I would their expandisplaced or ruptur- Specification of Letters Patent.

nism is mounted in a housing and gaging shoulders have it understood that changes and modications may be made without departure from the true spirit and scope of the inven# tion.

In this drawing: i

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a distributer unit embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of thel same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the mounting of the terminals on the vitreous insulating support.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the terminal in position ready to have the end thereof Yflanged over to secure it permanently in place.

Patent-ea oet. 9, 1917. Application led October 4, 1916. Serial No. 123,784.`

The device shown is a combined timer or interrupter and distributer, ing accomplished by an engine driven shaft 5 carrying a cam 6 operating a pivoted breaker arm 7 carrying a contact 8 for engagement with arelatively stationary contact 9. These two contacts constitute the ends ofthe primary circuit, and the current in the secondary or high tension circuit is distributed to the various cylinders by the distributer mechanism about to be described. This distributer mechanism is shown in the form of a rotating distributer element or arm 10 on the upper end of the cam shaft receiving current at its center throughv a brush 11 from the Contact or terminal 12 and distributing this high tension current in its rotation to the terminals 13 grouped about the center terminal.

The interrupter and distributer mechasupport consisting in the present disclosure of a cup shaped `base 14 and a cap or cover'15, secured to the base by spring catches 16 enprovided by the notches 17 in the rim of the cap. y

The cap portion of Jthe housing which forms the support for the terminals is made ofiinsulating material which is of a non- 'absorbitive non-hygroscopic nature such as glass, and which further is preferably transparent so as to disclose the entire work- C ing wh.ile the parts are assembled and thei engine is running. Figs 1 and 2 show how both the action of the distributer and the the timing becircuit breaker can beiwatched while in op-A l i of the dstributer base 14, and said base may be provided with a lug 19 engaging in a corresponding notch in the cap to insure proper registry of the parts. The spring catches hold the cap firmly seated against the base so that there is no danger of breakage by jarring, etc., and the cap being made of glass the notches for the spring clips do not wear down, so that the cap is always firmly held and the spring holding devices are enabled to always exert the proper tension on the cap.

Danger of breakage is further avoided by making the wall of the cap relatively heavy or as thick as may be necessary to withstand the shocks to which the device may ordinarily be subjected, this being a practical manufacturing possibility because of the fact that the glass is cheaper than the composition material now used for such purposes.

Another important advantage of this glass distributer housing and terminal support is that it can be made practically free of impurities, which is not the case with composition materials. This means superior insulating qualities and higher dielectric strength. Furthermore, the glass is not affected by any high tension sparks and no carbonization or pitting takes place. The glass, on account of its hard, vitreous and non-absorptive qualities is easily kept clean and has a tendency to remain clean by reason of the fact that water or oil quickly flows off the same. The non-hygroscopic qualities of the device are especially desirable in this connection for the distribution of the high tension current.

As above stated, the device on account of the greater cheapness of the glass can at no greater cost, be made actually stronger than similar devices molded in composition, andl even if the cap should become cracked, such fact is easily ascertained, as any cracks are easily detected. v

A special advantage of being able to observe the operation while the engine is working is that it enables the regulation of the gap at the interrupter points to just the desired extent. It will be apparent that numerous other advantages will follow from this construction, such as that in case of the failure of the ignition system it can readily be determined by watching the operation whether the fault is in the distributer unit, or to which side of the distributer unit the fault lies.

The high tension terminals are specially mounted in the cap to prevent them from fracturing the cap by undue expansion. Accordingly, the passages 20 provided in the cap for the tubular shanks 21 of the terminals are made large enough to receive the terminal shanks without confining them, and the terminals are preferably held only at their ends, as in the illustration by forming the terminals on the lower ends of the shanks as outstanding heads or flanges and by flanging over the upper ends of the 4terminals as indicated at 22. "Washers 23 of lead or other relatively soft material may be engaged beneath these end confining fianges to prevent breakage While spinning over the securing flanges, and to hold the terminal seated firmly in place. Figs. 4 and 3 illustrate how the parts are assembled by first inserting the terminals in their seats, then applying the washers or gaskets around the end of the terminal shanks and finally spinning the ends of thel Shanks over the washers. v

Fig. 3 also illustrates how a water tight joint between the terminals and the conductors connected with them can be effected by making the tubular terminal shanks internally screw threaded to take the threaded terminals 24 on the ends of the conductors 25, the cap being formed with tapering sockets 26 into which the insulating covering of the wires is tightly drawn by the screw threaded connections.

The seats 20 for the terminals are preferably enlarged for the expansion of the terminals by making them tapering in form as clearly indicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, this tapered construction providing all the room necessary for the expansion and also providing for the easy separation of the molded product from the dies.

What I claim is:

1. In ignition apparatus, a distributer unit, comprising a movable distributer element, an integral hollow cup-shaped transparent cap covering said distributer element and terminals carried by said transparent cap and spaced and supported thereby in operative relation to the movable distributer element.

2. In ignition apparatus, a distributer base, a movable distributer element on said base, an integral one-piece hollow cupshaped glass cap secured in inverted position over said distributer base and covering the distributer element and terminals carried by said hollow glass cap and supported thereby in operative relation to the movable distributer element.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a timer, including a relatively stationary contact and a movable breaker arm coperating therewith and a distributer including relatively stationary distributer terminals and a movable distributer arm coperating therewith, of a housing, inclosing said parts, including a base and an integral hollow cap of transparent insulating material secured to said base and forming a transparent cover through which the operation of the timer and distributer may be observed while in operation, said transparent cap having the distributer terminals mounted in and carried thereby.

4. In combination with a distributer cap of glass-like material provided with a tapering passage, a substantially cylindrical terminal located in said passage and means at the ends of said terminal for securing the same in said tapering passage.

5. In ignition apparatus, the combination with a movable distributer element, of a glass terminal support having terminal passages therein for supporting .and spacing terminal elements in proper relation to the movable distributer element, and terminal elements seated in said passages in operative relation to the movable distributer element. Y

JOHN F. CAVANAGH. 

